Fujica

Fujica is the name given by Fujifilm of Japan to its line of still-photography and motion picture cameras.

History

The company was founded on January 20, 1934, as Fuji Shashin Film K.K. (富士写真フィルム㈱, later translated as Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.), producing several sorts of film. It was an offshoot of Dai-Nippon Celluloid K.K. (大日本セルロイド㈱), founded in 1919. The company's first CEO was Asano Shūichi (浅野修一). The plants were located in the village of Minami-Ashigara (南足柄村, now a city) in the prefecture of Kanagawa (神奈川県), at the foot of Mt. Hakone (箱根山). It is said that the name "Fuji" (富士) was chosen by Asano Shūichi because of Mt. Fuji (富士山), situated not far from Mt. Hakone, but was already registered by a third party, to which the rights were bought for ¥8,000, a large sum at the time.

The company started to produce optical glass during the early 1940s for military use. The dependent company Fuji Shashin Kōki K.K. (富士写真光機㈱, meaning "Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd.") was founded in 1944, from the assets of Enomoto Kōgaku Seiki Seisakusho (榎本光学精機製作所), but this was absorbed back into Fuji Shashin Film after 1945. Many other Fuji companies were created after the war, all of them dependent of the main Fuji Shashin Film company and eventually of the Fujifilm Group (富士フィルムグループ). Fuji began producing cameras in 1948 with the Fujica Six. Until the late 1970s, many cameras made by Fuji were called Fujica, a contraction of Fuji and camera (cf Leica, Yashica etc.).

Fujifilm started producing digital cameras in 1988. Fujifilm was the most agile among film makers in adapting to digital imaging. Today they make digital APS-C and medium format mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras and fixed lens compact cameras as well, all under the Fujifilm name.

Camera models

Here is a list of all the Fujica branded still photo cameras that were produced and their date of introduction. Single-8 Film cameras are not listed.

Fujica AX-Multi Program 1985
Fujica STX-2 1985
Fujica AX-1N 1984
Fujica STX-1N 1983

Fujica AX-1 1980
Fujica AX-3 1980
Fujica AX-5 1980
Fujica STX-1 1979
Flash Fujica II 1978
Fujica AZ-1 1978

Fujica ST 605N 1978
Fujica ST 705W 1978
Fujica ST 705 1977
Fujica ST 601 1976
Fujica ST 605 1976
Fujica ST-F1975
Fujica GEr 1974
Fujica ST 901 1974
Fujica ST 801 1973

Fujica ST 701 1971
Fujica Compact Deluxe 1967
Fujica Drive 1964
Fujica V 2 1964
Fujicarex II 1963
Fujica 35 Auto-M 1962
Fujicarex 1962
Fujica 35 EE 1961
Fujica 35 SE 1960
Fujica 35 ML 1958
Fujica 35 M 1957
Fujicaflex 1954
Fujica Six II BS 1950
Fujica Six I BS 1948

Lenses

Interchangeable lenses for 35mm cameras

Fuji Photo Film X-FUJINON (F2.2/55mm)
Fuji lenses for Leica and Nikon

References

Ars Camera Advertisements by Fuji Shashin Film in January 1946 (p. 34)
March 1946 (p. 42).
Koyasu Yoshinobu (子安栄信). "Fuji Shashin Firumu ryakushi" (富士写真フィルム略史, Short history of Fuji Photo Film). In Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュークラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.44, December 1997. ISBN 4-257-13013-X.
Tokushū: Fuji Shashin Firumu no kamera(特集：富士写真フィルムのカメラ, special issue on the cameras of Fuji Photo Film). Pp. 11–7.
Fujifilm history, vol.1, chapter 4 Archived 2014-05-20 at the Wayback Machine.
Fujifilm history, vol.1, chapter 1 Archived 2015-11-04 at the Wayback Machine.
Fujifilm history, vol.1, chapter 4^{[permanent dead link‍]}.
Fujifilm history, vol.1, chapter 10.

External links